Hello, friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's word together
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on this edition
of "House Calls".
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Welcome to "House
Calls". I'm house, he is calls.
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Actually I'm John and John.
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So good to have
you tune in today
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for another program
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of walking
through the Bible together
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as the Lord leads
us through His word
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and the Holy Spirit
inspires us to understand
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how He's leading us
through this journey.
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Thank you, for tuning in,
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get your friends and
get your family members
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for another thoughtful hour
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of studying the
word of God together.
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Good to have you here,
John. It's good to be here.
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I tell you we are not
matching at all today.
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No, I think
we're different color
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we're
complementing, not matching.
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You're like I'm
John where you're picnic.
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We're
complementing. That's good.
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We're glad to be able to
sit down and do this together.
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We've been doing this program
for a number of years. Yeah.
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And the Lord has
blessed every step of the way
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and it's always good to
have you in hot seat with me.
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Yeah, absolutely.
It's good to be here.
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And you know, friends, we
always enjoy this program.
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If you've tuned in before,
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you know that we enjoy ourselves
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because the
Bible brings joy to us
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whenever we walk through it
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and the pages
always open our hearts
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to a greater understanding
of God's love for us.
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But before we do any
questions or anything else,
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we always like to have prayer
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and John is the
one that prays on air.
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So, John... Okay, let's pray.
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Our Father in Heaven,
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we are thankful again
for another day of life
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and just the
blessing of being able
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to spend time in your
word, spend time with You.
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Lord, we ask for Your spirit
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to direct our thoughts
especially toward Jesus.
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We want to keep Him
as the focus of our life
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and our motive for
not only studying the word
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but obeying its perception.
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So Father, we just thank You
and look forward to this time
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that You'll spend
with us here today
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in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
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And as you know a big part
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of our program
is Bible questions.
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I have some very
interesting ones today
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and I know that John does also,
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but if you have any
questions you want to send us,
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we have an email address
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that will help
you accomplish that,
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it is housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org
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and that's the place
where we open the door
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and receive from you your
thoughts and your comments.
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And once again if
you've not tuned in before,
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you know that one of the things
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we like to encourage our viewers
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and our audience to do is
to make the question short
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and concise as possible.
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But thank you, for
anything that you send.
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Even if you send it by letter
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and if you do send
that to P.O. Box 220,
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West Frankfort, Illinois, 62896,
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attention House Calls.
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John, what do we have today?
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Well, I've got a question here.
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First one is in
regard to prayer. All right.
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And comes from
Wendy and she says,
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"Hi, John and John,
does reading on the Lord
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after morning worship mean
to sit quietly there and then.
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And if you have to get
ready to go to work, what then?"
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So anyway a good question
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'cause we encourage many
times in the word of God,
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it says to wait on the Lord.
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And what does that mean?
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You know, a very,
very good question.
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Just a few texts about
this, Psalm says this often.
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Psalm 28:14, "Wait on
the Lord, be of good courage,
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and he shall
strengthen your heart,
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I say, wait on the Lord."
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Here's one, Psalm 37:9,
"For evildoers shall be cut off,
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but those who wait on the Lord,
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they shall inherit the earth."
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Few verses later in
verse 34 of that same chapter,
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"Wait on the
Lord, and keep his way,
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and he shall exalt you
to inherit the land." Okay.
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Anyway frequently, Isaiah,
"And I'll wait on the Lord,
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but those who wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength."
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Of course, this is a
very wonderful promise,
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"Shall renew their strength,
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shall mount up
with wings like eagles,
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and shall run and not be weary,
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and shall walk
and not be faint."
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What is it mean
to wait on the Lord?
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There is a waiting element here
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and I'm not, we do
want to connect it,
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there is a time to
wait and to descend
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how the Lord
might be speaking to us.
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There is a time that we
can meditate on the word of God
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through our devotionals
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as your saying
here, morning worship
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and then a pause to
reflect on those things
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and allow the Lord to
speak to our heart at that time.
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And so there is
that element of waiting.
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But in the context
of the different waiting
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that we just read about in
the Bible from the Psalmist,
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from Isaiah the Prophet,
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we find that waiting often means
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don't move ahead of God. Okay.
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Don't step
ahead of Him to train,
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do something that
only He can do for you.
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Sometimes when we ask for
specific answers to prayers
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and we have a
prescription for God
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even sometimes to
answer those prayers
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and so part of our
quest is do this specifically,
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and we don't see it happen.
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We feel compelled a step forward
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and try and do
something about it.
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And God is asking us in
many of those times, just wait.
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Just wait for Me.
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I've got this in
control, let Me move,
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I didn't answer it
according to exactly
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how you asked for the prayer,
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you know, in the
prayer to be answered
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but I'm gonna move forward
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and make sure that
what is best is done.
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And waiting on the Lord
involves differing to Him
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and letting Him
workout His purposes.
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True, that's true.
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I think that you really
put it together very well.
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We're not a
people that like to wait,
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not this nanosecond society.
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You'll notice that every
time a new device comes out,
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one of the major things that
sell of this how fast is it.
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And because we are locking
into this fast moving society,
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God's got to get with
it or get out of the way.
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That's kind of the
attitude that modern man has.
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I don't have
time to wait on Lord
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and, but not only modern man,
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you have some
examples in the Bible
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where there were saints of all
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that didn't wait on the Lord.
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Abraham was one of those
who God had made a promise
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that He will bless
him but he said, Lord,
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what is it gonna
be, when I'm 150?
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You got to do
something about this.
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Got to do something about
this so he made his own plan
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and we have
still to this very day,
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two nations that are
fighting over preeminence,
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the Dome of the Rock,
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all claiming to
be inherits of that
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because Abraham didn't wait.
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And you have a
number of other examples
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in the Scriptures about people
whether they are a nanosecond,
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highly electronic societies,
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or people that are just
prisoners of human nature
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which is just be
anxious for nothing,
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the Bible says but in everything
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with prayer and
supplication, with giving thanks
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make you request
bemay known to God
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and the peace of God that passes
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all understanding
will guard your hearts.
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Lot of times
people don't want to wait,
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they have anxieties.
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Even David says, I know
my anxieties, what do I do?
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And we've had
instances in our lives,
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I have-- where we
prayed and we said
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but I need an
answer, what do I do?
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But you'll find
that waiting is not
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so much to change the
Lord but it's a blessing to us.
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Because even Jesus, when
He spoke to His disciples,
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He in His own life
exemplified coming aside
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and resting a while,
go out to a quiet place
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and you'll discover that
much of your Christian walk
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will be impacted
in a positive way
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if you just learn how to wait.
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I don't know if
you answer the question
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about what do we do if
we've to get to work in a hurry.
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Yeah, I mean that's
part of the question there,
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is having to go and
if she has to sit there
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and wait how does
that all work together?
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Yeah, do I go to
work and say to my boss,
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well, I'm only late because
I was waiting on the Lord.
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So take it up with Him.
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That's not really the
case, sometimes you say, Lord,
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I'm gonna put this
matter in Your hand
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and I'll wait patiently.
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And when we wait patiently,
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reminds me of
the person who says,
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Lord, I need
patience and I need it now.
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See, let's just, it's an art
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that has been lost
in our society today.
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What we do
sometimes to wait on the Lord,
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when my wife and
I ready our Bibles.
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We just leave everything off.
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We just leave all the media off,
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we play soft
music in the background
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and we just allow what
we've just read to sink in.
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And out of that comes
some great revelations
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where if we have
just rushed into the day
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out of that we would
have missed the thing
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that God was trying to tell us.
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And a part of waiting
could also be embraced
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in the art called meditation.
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Now I don't mean,
hmm, don't mean that at all
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but meditation on God's word.
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David said he meditated
on God's law day and night.
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That's keeping our minds on Him
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and as Isaiah
says He will keep us
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in perfect peace
if you practice that.
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So, hey, if you're in a
hurry, set your schedule,
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we have some
people that I know that
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work here at
3ABN, they get up early
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in the morning but
they go to bed early.
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Sometimes they go to
bed at 8:30 or 9 o'clock.
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I'm from New
York, I can't do that.
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I know just, I think I'm missing
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everything
happening in the world.
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I wake up at 3
o'clock in the morning
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what I've missed but some people
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are able to go
to bed at 9 o'clock.
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I know somebody that
I called once at 8:30
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and I woke them up.
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And I thought,
wow, and they said
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they get up at
4:30 in the morning
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so they could spend a good
hour and a half in the word.
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Then I thought,
wow, that is really good.
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Giving credit for
that, that's good.
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Then I thought that's
great. They are not rushing.
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They said they read
the word and they sit down
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and they just meditate on that.
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So by the time they get to work,
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they're all prayed
up and strengthened,
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so that's a good thing.
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Practice it and
God will bless you
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in this anxious society.
00:10:05.10\00:10:07.03
The Lord will bless you
as you wait up on the Lord.
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I have a question here John,
00:10:10.39\00:10:13.18
that has to do with saints.
00:10:13.21\00:10:15.35
Somebody asked the
question what is a saint?
00:10:15.38\00:10:18.39
And I qualify this
by going back to my
00:10:18.42\00:10:21.78
little bit of family roots here.
00:10:21.81\00:10:23.88
My family being
predominantly Catholic,
00:10:23.91\00:10:27.44
saint meant something different
00:10:27.47\00:10:29.18
in certain religious communities
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that it does in others.
00:10:33.24\00:10:35.13
But let me read a
couple of texts in the Bible
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so that we can set the stage
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because well,
let me just go ahead
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and read the verses.
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I read one here in
1 Corinthians 14:33
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where the Bible says,
00:10:47.71\00:10:50.28
"For God is not
the author of confusion
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but of peace, as in all
the churches of the saints."
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And then another one
in 1 Corinthians 16:1,
00:10:59.73\00:11:02.65
"Now concerning the
collection for the saints,
00:11:02.68\00:11:07.30
I have given order to
the churches of Galatia,
00:11:07.33\00:11:10.75
even so ye do."
00:11:10.78\00:11:13.08
These two scriptures makes it
00:11:13.11\00:11:14.44
very, very
clear what a saint is.
00:11:14.47\00:11:16.53
A word for a saint,
00:11:16.56\00:11:18.62
Christian is a word that
means the called out ones,
00:11:18.65\00:11:22.23
saint means the
consecrated ones.
00:11:22.26\00:11:26.60
You find a
different word in Greek
00:11:26.63\00:11:29.47
and a different word in Hebrew.
00:11:29.50\00:11:31.62
But hagios is the
word in Greek for the--
00:11:31.65\00:11:36.71
to think the other word saint.
00:11:36.74\00:11:38.71
It means those who are
holy, those who are consecrated,
00:11:38.74\00:11:43.74
those who are religious
and those who are morally pure.
00:11:43.77\00:11:48.22
And so a saint
simply is a Christian,
00:11:48.25\00:11:50.60
a person who gives
his or her life to Christ.
00:11:50.63\00:11:52.97
The cleansing
process takes place
00:11:53.00\00:11:55.01
and they are now
referred to as saints.
00:11:55.04\00:11:58.05
You find a number of
other passages in the Bible.
00:11:58.08\00:12:01.48
Here's one in Ephesians 1:15,
00:12:01.51\00:12:04.02
"Wherefore I also,
00:12:04.05\00:12:05.33
after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus,
00:12:05.36\00:12:08.28
and love unto all the saints."
00:12:08.31\00:12:12.99
Also another one
in Ephesians 2:29,
00:12:13.02\00:12:16.20
"Now, therefore, you are no
more strangers and foreigners,
00:12:16.23\00:12:19.40
but fellow
citizens with the saints
00:12:19.43\00:12:22.01
of the household of God."
00:12:22.04\00:12:23.83
So you see clearly saints,
those who are in the church,
00:12:23.86\00:12:28.21
those who are in different
communities of Christians,
00:12:28.24\00:12:31.00
that's what a saint really is.
00:12:31.03\00:12:32.65
Now, let me just
encourage you here
00:12:32.68\00:12:34.21
because sometimes
people say don't act like
00:12:34.24\00:12:36.23
what do you think you're saint?
00:12:36.26\00:12:38.25
And they throw that terminology
out there in a very loose way,
00:12:38.28\00:12:40.38
almost like to
condescend and say,
00:12:40.41\00:12:42.29
what do you
think, you're perfect?
00:12:42.32\00:12:43.62
Saints are not perfect,
saints have been consecrated,
00:12:43.65\00:12:46.76
have been set aside by the Lord.
00:12:46.79\00:12:48.97
Saints are ones that are
00:12:49.00\00:12:50.58
called to be in a
community of people
00:12:50.61\00:12:52.63
that are living moral lives.
00:12:52.66\00:12:54.85
So somebody may,
00:12:54.88\00:12:56.52
you know, are
using other terminology
00:12:56.55\00:12:57.85
or somebody may say to a
person that used to be a,
00:12:57.88\00:13:00.55
you know, an
alcoholic or carouser,
00:13:00.58\00:13:02.46
or drink a very lovely person,
00:13:02.49\00:13:04.86
and somebody say,
whoa, now you're saint.
00:13:04.89\00:13:07.98
That means they
recognize that this person
00:13:08.01\00:13:09.84
no longer lives the way
that he or she used to live.
00:13:09.87\00:13:12.64
So the word saint is not a
word that is applied to people
00:13:12.67\00:13:16.41
that have been
exalted to sainthood,
00:13:16.44\00:13:19.12
like Saint Peter or
Saint Thomas or Saint Paul.
00:13:19.15\00:13:25.08
These are terms used
in the catholic community
00:13:25.11\00:13:28.69
for people that have now
been elevated to a higher
00:13:28.72\00:13:31.38
and holier setting
which in fact, like,
00:13:31.41\00:13:35.29
when Pope John Paul
was elevated to sainthood.
00:13:35.32\00:13:38.04
Pope John Paul II after he died.
00:13:38.07\00:13:40.72
Now these are not
saints that we pray to,
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.51
we don't pray to the saints,
00:13:43.54\00:13:44.95
the saints pray
to the Lord, you see.
00:13:44.98\00:13:47.90
And one of the examples
in the Book of Revelation,
00:13:47.93\00:13:51.70
let me give you
this example here
00:13:51.73\00:13:54.23
speaking about the
incense in Revelation 8:3,
00:13:54.26\00:14:00.62
and it says, "And
another angel came
00:14:00.65\00:14:02.18
and stood at the
altar, having a golden censer,
00:14:02.21\00:14:06.74
and there was given
unto him much incense,
00:14:06.77\00:14:09.44
that he should offer it
00:14:09.47\00:14:10.75
with the prayers
of all the saints
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.68
upon the golden altar
which was before the throne."
00:14:13.71\00:14:17.09
When saints pray
00:14:17.12\00:14:18.59
and then it says in
the next verse, verse 4,
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.46
"And the smoke of the incense,
00:14:20.49\00:14:23.14
which came with the
prayers of the saints,
00:14:23.17\00:14:25.78
ascended up before God
out of the angel's hands."
00:14:25.81\00:14:29.70
So you see clearly when we pray
00:14:29.73\00:14:32.56
and that is
taking before the Lord,
00:14:32.59\00:14:34.74
the altar of
incense was an indication
00:14:34.77\00:14:36.54
that God accepts the
prayers of the saint.
00:14:36.57\00:14:39.33
That means the people of God
00:14:39.36\00:14:41.19
their prayers are demonstrated
in the rising of sweet incense
00:14:41.22\00:14:45.76
before the presence of the Lord.
00:14:45.79\00:14:47.60
So in a nutshell, a
saint is a Christian,
00:14:47.63\00:14:50.27
a chosen one, a
person called to be
00:14:50.30\00:14:52.46
a part of the
morally pure community,
00:14:52.49\00:14:55.45
one that is consecrated
one that is set aside.
00:14:55.48\00:14:58.92
And part of the body of Christ.
00:14:58.95\00:15:02.03
Right, very integrative of those
who are of the body of Christ.
00:15:02.06\00:15:05.30
So if you're attending a church
00:15:05.33\00:15:06.59
and you have all
these church members,
00:15:06.62\00:15:07.97
they're saints
in the eyes of God.
00:15:08.00\00:15:10.31
Perfect no, but saints
called to be prepared sacred,
00:15:10.34\00:15:14.79
morally pure,
religious consecrated
00:15:14.82\00:15:19.06
and holy in the
presence of the Lord
00:15:19.09\00:15:21.26
but not perfect. All right.
00:15:21.29\00:15:23.61
Except by the
righteousness as Christ.
00:15:23.64\00:15:25.38
And they're saints
not because of their
00:15:25.41\00:15:26.81
own inherent abilities. Right.
00:15:26.84\00:15:29.18
And righteousness,
but they're saints
00:15:29.21\00:15:30.71
because of the
righteousness of Christ
00:15:30.74\00:15:33.12
that has been imparted to them
00:15:33.15\00:15:34.94
and as they've been set
aside for a holy purpose
00:15:34.97\00:15:38.44
for the mission of
God's church. Right.
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.97
And you don't have phrases
in the Bible like Saint Elijah
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.09
and Saint Moses and all that,
00:15:43.12\00:15:45.06
in certain
religious communities,
00:15:45.09\00:15:47.44
that is seen as an
elevation to a standard
00:15:47.47\00:15:50.08
where by they finally
attained the level of perfection
00:15:50.11\00:15:53.26
or they're finally arrived
00:15:53.29\00:15:56.14
and that's not what the
bible refers to as a saint.
00:15:56.17\00:15:59.10
What do you have, what
else do you have, John?
00:15:59.13\00:16:00.52
I have a question here I won't
give the name of the person
00:16:00.55\00:16:04.52
who's sending the question.
00:16:04.55\00:16:05.83
Oh, its one of those questions.
00:16:05.86\00:16:07.11
Yeah, I'm reading it
00:16:07.14\00:16:08.61
because it's really
indicative of several questions,
00:16:08.64\00:16:11.46
many questions that we get
00:16:11.49\00:16:13.43
and I just want to
read a little bit of it
00:16:13.46\00:16:16.16
and then I want to share
00:16:16.19\00:16:18.03
a little bit that
comes from my heart--
00:16:18.06\00:16:19.90
a pastor's heart, I know
I won't speak for John here
00:16:19.93\00:16:23.46
but I know he thinks
very much the same way.
00:16:23.49\00:16:27.29
And it says, Dear John and John,
00:16:27.32\00:16:29.61
and then he mentions
that he likes our program
00:16:29.64\00:16:32.49
but then after
giving some quotations about
00:16:32.52\00:16:35.80
what our life should look like
00:16:35.83\00:16:39.37
in regard to
being a saint of God,
00:16:39.40\00:16:42.68
to use the word from the
question we just answered.
00:16:42.71\00:16:46.70
This person mentions
this and I'm gonna quote here.
00:16:46.73\00:16:51.12
"I wonder why people including
staffs of SDA channels,
00:16:51.15\00:16:55.71
we see as godly decorate
themselves with lipstick,
00:16:55.74\00:17:01.00
shadow on their
eyes, paint on nails,
00:17:01.03\00:17:03.57
and makeup, things like that."
00:17:03.60\00:17:08.05
John, I know that we've
had discussions before that,
00:17:08.08\00:17:14.43
we've been highly
criticized, not just myself,
00:17:14.46\00:17:18.17
not just you,
anybody specifically here
00:17:18.20\00:17:20.98
and then I'm
gonna mention at 3ABN.
00:17:21.01\00:17:22.68
But criticism
often comes with programs
00:17:22.71\00:17:25.58
for people in regard to make-up
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.61
or hair color or
glasses they wear.
00:17:27.64\00:17:29.86
I remember for a while there,
00:17:29.89\00:17:31.88
it was about a year
after this program began,
00:17:31.91\00:17:33.87
someone wrote in
00:17:33.90\00:17:35.75
and said that why do they
have me doing this program
00:17:35.78\00:17:40.78
when my glasses are
clearly focused on style
00:17:40.81\00:17:44.69
rather than
purpose? I remember that.
00:17:44.72\00:17:46.78
In other words
they were too stylish
00:17:46.81\00:17:49.34
and that was
confirming to the world
00:17:49.37\00:17:51.13
and somehow that way.
00:17:51.16\00:17:52.28
And in other
case, in other case,
00:17:52.31\00:17:55.77
we had a situation where
00:17:55.80\00:17:57.71
there was a little
bit of a disagreement
00:17:57.74\00:17:58.97
with a member of a
church that I was patoring.
00:17:59.00\00:18:02.27
And they took it
to another level,
00:18:02.30\00:18:04.34
they didn't say anything to me
00:18:04.37\00:18:05.88
but they wrote to
3ABN and said, well,
00:18:05.91\00:18:09.07
how can you have this
pastor associated with your work
00:18:09.10\00:18:11.59
because he doesn't
believe in this, this and this.
00:18:11.62\00:18:14.99
And we're not
talking about any doctrine,
00:18:15.02\00:18:16.65
we're just talking about
lifestyle practice. Right.
00:18:16.68\00:18:20.04
And we don't all
believe exactly the same
00:18:20.07\00:18:22.77
contrary to what some believe.
00:18:22.80\00:18:24.12
We're to be like minded
00:18:24.15\00:18:25.26
but we're not to be same. Right.
00:18:25.29\00:18:27.41
And so I mentioned this here
because when we focus on others,
00:18:27.44\00:18:33.51
we tend to take
our eyes off Jesus.
00:18:33.54\00:18:35.95
When you move to
looking at something
00:18:35.98\00:18:37.50
your brother or your sister
is doing that you disagree with,
00:18:37.53\00:18:40.30
you take your eye off
but when you should be
00:18:40.33\00:18:42.06
looking at who is Jesus himself.
00:18:42.09\00:18:44.30
And I'm gonna go
to Matthew Chapter 7
00:18:44.33\00:18:46.72
and just read a
quick passage here
00:18:46.75\00:18:48.36
that I think really
connects in with this.
00:18:48.39\00:18:52.48
It's Matthew 7:1, "Judge
not, that you be not judged.
00:18:52.51\00:18:58.50
For with what
judgment you judge,
00:18:58.53\00:19:00.40
you will be judged,
00:19:00.43\00:19:02.14
and with the measure you use it,
00:19:02.17\00:19:04.15
it will be measured back to you.
00:19:04.18\00:19:06.61
And why do you look at the
speck in your brother's eye,
00:19:06.64\00:19:10.06
but do not consider
the plank in your own eye?
00:19:10.09\00:19:13.30
Or how can you
say to your brother,
00:19:13.33\00:19:14.72
'Let me remove the
speck from your eye',
00:19:14.75\00:19:16.65
and look, a plank
is in your own eye?
00:19:16.68\00:19:19.46
Hypocrite! First remove
the plank from your own eye,
00:19:19.49\00:19:23.12
and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck
00:19:23.15\00:19:25.81
from your brother's eye."
00:19:25.84\00:19:28.19
All right, very, very
important counsel here
00:19:28.22\00:19:31.51
and its in regard to judging
00:19:31.54\00:19:33.17
And some-- John,
I've heard sometimes
00:19:33.20\00:19:35.49
we say we bow down to judgment,
00:19:35.52\00:19:37.06
just as eternal, you know,
00:19:37.09\00:19:39.57
judging one's
eternal state, condition,
00:19:39.60\00:19:42.08
but to me that's a
little bit of a cop out. Right.
00:19:42.11\00:19:44.07
Because it give us a
latitude that to judge things
00:19:44.10\00:19:47.31
or lifestyle issues
about another person
00:19:47.34\00:19:49.80
and then say,
well, I'm not saying that
00:19:49.83\00:19:51.12
they are going to
hell or anything like that
00:19:51.15\00:19:52.73
but you're still judging. Right.
00:19:52.76\00:19:55.12
You're still judging
according to the word of God.
00:19:55.15\00:19:58.86
Jesus is not talking about
00:19:58.89\00:20:00.14
someone's eternal salvation here
in this passage we just read.
00:20:00.17\00:20:02.92
He's talking about
pointing out some errors
00:20:02.95\00:20:05.48
or some issues with
your brother. Right.
00:20:05.51\00:20:07.87
And you yourself have them.
00:20:07.90\00:20:10.25
And so I share this
00:20:10.28\00:20:11.38
because I think
one of the struggles
00:20:11.41\00:20:13.76
that we have as a church
and this is with any church,
00:20:13.79\00:20:16.83
it's not just the
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:20:16.86\00:20:18.46
but we have as a
church amongst each other.
00:20:18.49\00:20:21.68
The members of
the church is that
00:20:21.71\00:20:24.19
we sin tend to judge others
00:20:24.22\00:20:26.42
before
ourselves, we extend mercy
00:20:26.45\00:20:28.45
and we think lot of
problem is in as bad as that
00:20:28.48\00:20:30.43
and we don't realize
we've got issues too.
00:20:30.46\00:20:33.79
And the Holy Spirit
is the one to convict.
00:20:33.82\00:20:35.70
John, you know,
over and over again
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.75
we have seen and know this,
00:20:37.78\00:20:41.17
you know, even just thinking
about it we know this is true.
00:20:41.20\00:20:45.22
What positive change in
behavior has ever come about
00:20:45.25\00:20:50.81
by pointing out someone's error
00:20:50.84\00:20:53.44
rather than
focusing on the good parts?
00:20:53.47\00:20:57.27
In other words
with young people,
00:20:57.30\00:20:59.79
you know, someone comes back
in from doing something wrong,
00:20:59.82\00:21:02.14
or they--you know,
they broke a window,
00:21:02.17\00:21:06.52
and they
shouldn't be throwing rocks.
00:21:06.55\00:21:07.86
Here we have a young kid,
00:21:07.89\00:21:08.92
they come in, they
are sent to their room
00:21:08.95\00:21:11.09
and all the
parent does is talk about
00:21:11.12\00:21:12.97
what a horrible
thing that kid did.
00:21:13.00\00:21:15.05
Oh, Johnny, you
shouldn't have done this
00:21:15.08\00:21:16.67
and I can't
believe you did this,
00:21:16.70\00:21:17.73
and you let me
down, and you're just,
00:21:17.76\00:21:19.71
you know, you
don't pick up a rock.
00:21:19.74\00:21:21.57
Harping on the problem
doesn't change the behavior. No.
00:21:21.60\00:21:25.61
Jesus tended with,
He does this with us,
00:21:25.64\00:21:28.79
He's asking us put your arms
around those that are strained.
00:21:28.82\00:21:33.68
Come along side of
them. Get to know them.
00:21:33.71\00:21:35.31
Shield them from criticism,
00:21:35.34\00:21:38.05
especially, those
that want to cast stones.
00:21:38.08\00:21:41.30
Jesus mentioned about the woman
that was caught in adultery,
00:21:41.33\00:21:44.98
whoever without sin
cast the first stone.
00:21:45.01\00:21:48.90
And we cast stones and we
think that we're not doing it.
00:21:48.93\00:21:52.41
You know, I can
point out the errors,
00:21:52.44\00:21:53.74
why are we doing this or that?
00:21:53.77\00:21:54.90
You know what,
this is God's issue.
00:21:54.93\00:21:57.07
It's His problem
if it is a problem,
00:21:57.10\00:21:59.47
it's he's to
correct. That's right.
00:21:59.50\00:22:01.53
And it's not for you or for me
00:22:01.56\00:22:03.52
to point out the errors
of someone else to correct.
00:22:03.55\00:22:05.63
I'm gonna read
just one statement here.
00:22:05.66\00:22:09.74
Just real quickly that
hopefully will resonate
00:22:09.77\00:22:13.12
with some who
take this approach.
00:22:13.15\00:22:17.45
This is counsel give
in our church way back,
00:22:17.48\00:22:20.64
"Men may speak
fluently upon doctrines,
00:22:20.67\00:22:23.16
and may express
strong faith in theories,
00:22:23.19\00:22:26.36
but do they possess
Christ like meekness and love?
00:22:26.39\00:22:31.68
If they reveal a
harsh, critical spirit,
00:22:31.71\00:22:35.05
they are denying Christ.
00:22:35.08\00:22:37.17
If they are not
kind, tenderhearted,
00:22:37.20\00:22:39.67
long-suffering,
they are not like Jesus,
00:22:39.70\00:22:42.95
they are
deceiving their own souls."
00:22:42.98\00:22:46.58
That's strong counsel. That is.
00:22:46.61\00:22:48.21
Somewhere else I don't
have the quote in front of me
00:22:48.24\00:22:49.82
but we are told
that even Christ Himself
00:22:49.85\00:22:55.58
if He were to judge us
the way we judge others,
00:22:55.61\00:22:58.80
we would perceive Him
00:22:58.83\00:23:00.04
as harsh and
critical judgmental. Right.
00:23:00.07\00:23:04.78
And Jesus does not like that.
Yes, He wants the best for us.
00:23:04.81\00:23:09.76
Yes, He's working
in the lives of people
00:23:09.79\00:23:11.43
to bring them closer to Him.
00:23:11.46\00:23:13.00
Yes, He wants to
have, us to have a lifestyle
00:23:13.03\00:23:15.59
that is uplifting Christ
00:23:15.62\00:23:17.38
and is
representing His character.
00:23:17.41\00:23:19.57
But it's not for
you to judge them,
00:23:19.60\00:23:21.65
it's for Him to
work on it with them.
00:23:21.68\00:23:23.91
Well, I can hear
someone saying right now
00:23:23.94\00:23:25.45
well, someone has to tell him
00:23:25.48\00:23:26.85
if no one tells them,
they're not gonna know.
00:23:26.88\00:23:29.21
Well, here's the biggest,
00:23:29.24\00:23:34.02
what I say,
probably the condition upon
00:23:34.05\00:23:36.34
which someone
is allowed to bring
00:23:36.37\00:23:38.44
a fault to a brother or sister.
00:23:38.47\00:23:40.76
And so here's this what I say.
00:23:40.79\00:23:42.72
The first question
is, do you know them?
00:23:42.75\00:23:45.79
Do you know them personally?
00:23:45.82\00:23:47.97
Have you gotten to
know them as a friend?
00:23:48.00\00:23:50.28
If you know them as a friend,
00:23:50.31\00:23:51.34
if you've invested in
time in that relationship,
00:23:51.37\00:23:54.77
then God may call
you to step forward
00:23:54.80\00:23:57.03
and point out an issue
00:23:57.06\00:23:58.94
that you see
them struggling with
00:23:58.97\00:24:01.02
that would help
and encourage them
00:24:01.05\00:24:02.40
to take another direction.
00:24:02.43\00:24:04.83
But if you don't
know that person,
00:24:04.86\00:24:06.78
and you're casting a stone
00:24:06.81\00:24:07.84
from the other
side of the church
00:24:07.87\00:24:08.93
or across the air waves
to this network with somebody
00:24:08.96\00:24:12.00
or anywhere in the church,
00:24:12.03\00:24:14.65
you have no
right to come forward
00:24:14.68\00:24:16.60
and to point out the
error of someone's ways.
00:24:16.63\00:24:19.93
Because what that is
doing is that is judging,
00:24:19.96\00:24:21.93
it's a critical
fault finding spirit
00:24:21.96\00:24:23.59
and you deny Christ Himself.
00:24:23.62\00:24:25.86
Now this may
come across as strong,
00:24:25.89\00:24:28.49
John, but I'm reading counsel,
00:24:28.52\00:24:30.36
I'm reading the word of God,
00:24:30.39\00:24:31.74
what I find is we
do some of these things
00:24:31.77\00:24:33.68
in the name of
righteousness. Right.
00:24:33.71\00:24:36.19
And it should not be
00:24:36.22\00:24:38.09
and we would be
able to corporate
00:24:38.12\00:24:39.76
and get along and do so
much more in our churches today
00:24:39.79\00:24:42.85
if we would love each
other, unify with each other
00:24:42.88\00:24:45.60
and help each other
00:24:45.63\00:24:46.72
along this narrow
path of life. That's right.
00:24:46.75\00:24:49.54
I'm glad I've
given you room to unfold
00:24:49.57\00:24:51.69
'cause I've been thinking here--
00:24:51.72\00:24:52.75
So I preaching a little bit here
00:24:52.78\00:24:54.04
but I just-- it's on my heart
00:24:54.07\00:24:55.95
and I see this so
much that it hurts
00:24:55.98\00:24:57.52
and destroys relationships
in the church. It does.
00:24:57.55\00:25:00.15
People often, you know, there's
so much counsel on the word
00:25:00.18\00:25:02.52
and I just want to walk through
00:25:02.55\00:25:03.92
some of the scriptures
that I put together here.
00:25:03.95\00:25:05.77
One of the first
ones, 1 Corinthians 11:28,
00:25:05.80\00:25:08.72
the Bible says, "Let a
man examine himself." Yes.
00:25:08.75\00:25:12.22
See that's when we come
to the communion service,
00:25:12.25\00:25:14.79
I always read that
at our communion service
00:25:14.82\00:25:16.45
because we come
to communion services
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.67
and in some cases
people feel unworthy
00:25:18.70\00:25:21.07
and they don't come to communion
00:25:21.10\00:25:22.26
because they know
somebody else is gonna examine
00:25:22.29\00:25:24.23
and judge them and say,
00:25:24.26\00:25:26.19
she shouldn't be
taking communion.
00:25:26.22\00:25:27.74
He shouldn't be
taking communion.
00:25:27.77\00:25:29.73
And what happens as we
throw up these barriers
00:25:29.76\00:25:32.73
and one of the
things we fail to realize
00:25:32.76\00:25:34.64
and I learn this when I studied
about the 12 tribes of Israel.
00:25:34.67\00:25:38.77
One of those tribes, if
you read Genesis Chapter 49
00:25:38.80\00:25:41.73
and then read
Revelation Chapter 7,
00:25:41.76\00:25:43.71
you will notice
there's a name that's not there
00:25:43.74\00:25:45.43
and the name is Dan.
00:25:45.46\00:25:46.98
The Bible says, Dan shall
be like an adder in the path,
00:25:47.01\00:25:50.37
a serpent by the way
that bites the horse's heel
00:25:50.40\00:25:54.87
so that the rider falls back.
00:25:54.90\00:25:57.68
Dan, he said--Bible says
he shall judge his people.
00:25:57.71\00:26:01.55
He's critical,
he's faultfinding.
00:26:01.58\00:26:02.85
He was the one that always
00:26:02.88\00:26:04.57
focused on everybody else's sin
00:26:04.60\00:26:06.53
therefore, he never
even discovered his own sin
00:26:06.56\00:26:09.66
and those who can't
discover their own sin
00:26:09.69\00:26:12.15
can't repent of sin,
can't be saved from sin.
00:26:12.18\00:26:15.70
He examined everybody else.
00:26:15.73\00:26:17.45
So Paul, here's another
one, 2 Corinthians 13:5,
00:26:17.48\00:26:21.48
"Examine yourselves
00:26:21.51\00:26:24.03
as to whether you are in
the faith test yourselves.
00:26:24.06\00:26:28.04
Do you not know yourselves that
00:26:28.07\00:26:29.35
Christ is in you unless
indeed you are disqualified?"
00:26:29.38\00:26:32.66
See the examination
00:26:32.69\00:26:34.16
and what so
wonderful about the time
00:26:34.19\00:26:35.51
in which we live as a church
is we're living in the day of--
00:26:35.54\00:26:37.67
we're living in the
antitypical day of atonement
00:26:37.70\00:26:39.84
where the people were
told to examine themselves.
00:26:39.87\00:26:42.28
Flush out their
position before God.
00:26:42.31\00:26:45.98
And John pointed
out in a very real way
00:26:46.01\00:26:48.93
how the mote in our eye
00:26:48.96\00:26:51.74
is probably a lot
bigger than the speck
00:26:51.77\00:26:53.80
in our brother's eye.
00:26:53.83\00:26:55.42
But sometimes,
we have established
00:26:55.45\00:26:57.91
a set rules of righteous,
set standard of righteousness
00:26:57.94\00:27:02.11
and anybody
that weirs off course
00:27:02.14\00:27:03.70
or moves around or any
other particular direction
00:27:03.73\00:27:06.23
that doesn't harmonize with us,
00:27:06.26\00:27:09.24
we cast that stone.
00:27:09.27\00:27:11.45
But here's another one
and I'm gonna give a few more.
00:27:11.48\00:27:14.08
Galatians 6:4, "But let
each one examine his own work,
00:27:14.11\00:27:18.88
and then he will
have rejoicing in himself,
00:27:18.91\00:27:21.13
and not in another."
00:27:21.16\00:27:23.11
Matthew, "For by your
words you will be justified,
00:27:23.14\00:27:26.23
by your words you
will be condemned."
00:27:26.26\00:27:29.22
That measure, you read
the one about the measure,
00:27:29.25\00:27:31.68
it shall be
measured to you again. Yeah.
00:27:31.71\00:27:34.65
If we measure a large spoon
of criticism towards someone,
00:27:34.68\00:27:38.61
that large spoon of criticism
00:27:38.64\00:27:40.35
will be turned
against us one day.
00:27:40.38\00:27:41.50
You have that
text because I didn't--
00:27:41.53\00:27:42.91
that wasn't part of.
Okay, I'll give it to you.
00:27:42.94\00:27:46.69
And then the
other one in John 8:10,
00:27:46.72\00:27:49.13
this was the most
moving example in the Bible.
00:27:49.16\00:27:51.43
This was the woman
caught in adultery.
00:27:51.46\00:27:53.85
Now let's just think
about that for a moment.
00:27:53.88\00:27:56.73
What could be more qualified
00:27:56.76\00:28:00.19
as an active condemnation
than being caught in adultery?
00:28:00.22\00:28:04.74
And look at how Jesus
dealt with that airing woman.
00:28:04.77\00:28:07.68
That woman who became
00:28:07.71\00:28:10.16
such a component of
the spreading of the gospel
00:28:10.19\00:28:14.01
and then later on he said
00:28:14.04\00:28:15.16
wherever the gospel is mentioned
00:28:15.19\00:28:16.94
this woman's name
will be remembered.
00:28:16.97\00:28:19.60
Here's what he said, John 8:10,
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.34
"When Jesus had
raised Himself up
00:28:22.37\00:28:24.58
and saw no one but the woman,
00:28:24.61\00:28:27.73
He said to her" and by
the way the situation was
00:28:27.76\00:28:29.77
they were saying
to Jesus stone her.
00:28:29.80\00:28:32.55
"He said to her, 'Woman,
00:28:32.58\00:28:34.07
where are those
accusers of yours?
00:28:34.10\00:28:37.13
Has no one condemned you?'"
00:28:37.16\00:28:39.17
And then he said
in verse 11 of John 8,
00:28:39.20\00:28:41.53
"She said, 'No one, Lord.'
00:28:41.56\00:28:43.19
And Jesus said to her,
'Neither do I condemn you,
00:28:43.22\00:28:46.79
go and sin no more.'"
00:28:46.82\00:28:49.40
So when we deal with those
00:28:49.43\00:28:50.50
who are airing like
those who are struggling
00:28:50.53\00:28:53.26
or those who are not yet
as strong as they could be,
00:28:53.29\00:28:56.43
let's be less
condemning and more encouraging,
00:28:56.46\00:29:01.43
to the young people.
00:29:01.46\00:29:02.99
One person once-- I
never forget this story
00:29:03.02\00:29:06.65
where a church was,
one person that was very,
00:29:06.68\00:29:11.93
there was a particular
church that was very good at
00:29:11.96\00:29:14.52
cutting down this one young lady
00:29:14.55\00:29:16.15
who had a baby out of wedlock.
00:29:16.18\00:29:19.60
And while they
didn't support that,
00:29:19.63\00:29:21.72
somebody came to
that church one day
00:29:21.75\00:29:23.96
and said to the church members
00:29:23.99\00:29:25.41
who are
condemning this young lady.
00:29:25.44\00:29:28.70
They said to her,
They said to them,
00:29:28.73\00:29:30.91
where were you
when she was struggling?
00:29:30.94\00:29:32.79
Where were you when there was
no one to give her direction?
00:29:32.82\00:29:34.66
Where were you?
00:29:34.69\00:29:35.72
You could have prevented
her from going down this path,
00:29:35.75\00:29:39.59
had you been in
a role years before
00:29:39.62\00:29:42.01
of encouraging and guiding
00:29:42.04\00:29:44.00
and strengthening
and giving support to.
00:29:44.03\00:29:46.97
You could have
prevented this many years later,
00:29:47.00\00:29:48.91
had she's this places, a
place of support and love
00:29:48.94\00:29:51.67
and respect and
not a place of blame
00:29:51.70\00:29:55.83
and condemnation and judgment.
00:29:55.86\00:29:58.56
It goes back to the investment
of time in someone's life.
00:29:58.59\00:30:01.35
If you don't know
that person-- Yeah.
00:30:01.38\00:30:03.54
And you haven't had some
investment in that relationship
00:30:03.57\00:30:07.38
and to get to know them,
00:30:07.41\00:30:08.62
you have no right to
point out any errors. Right.
00:30:08.65\00:30:11.58
You'll just let it go. Right.
00:30:11.61\00:30:14.31
You know we've heard
story after story of the woman
00:30:14.34\00:30:17.55
or the young girl that comes
with a skirt little too high
00:30:17.58\00:30:20.07
or maybe the
dress a little too low
00:30:20.10\00:30:22.75
and the dear "saint
comes over and says,
00:30:22.78\00:30:25.68
honey, you better
get out of the door
00:30:25.71\00:30:26.89
and go home and
get something else on
00:30:26.92\00:30:28.08
before you come back
to this church." Right.
00:30:28.11\00:30:30.41
What is that gonna do to her?
00:30:30.44\00:30:31.74
You think that's actually
gonna cause her to go home,
00:30:31.77\00:30:34.36
change and come back. No.
00:30:34.39\00:30:35.77
No, that's gonna push
her right out of the door,
00:30:35.80\00:30:38.11
she may never come back. Right.
00:30:38.14\00:30:40.59
And you know what?
00:30:40.62\00:30:42.45
Her soul is on
your head. That's right.
00:30:42.48\00:30:47.63
And you don't even
realize what you've just did.
00:30:47.66\00:30:50.18
And we've gotto
move away from judging
00:30:50.21\00:30:52.19
and throwing stones and
let the Lord do the work
00:30:52.22\00:30:54.53
that He's gonna
do. That's right.
00:30:54.56\00:30:56.09
And He starts with
us, and He starts with us.
00:30:56.12\00:30:58.56
So we wanted to make that clear,
00:30:58.59\00:31:00.27
we talk about lot of doctrines,
we talk about heaven, hell,
00:31:00.30\00:31:03.71
you know, judgment
and all these things
00:31:03.74\00:31:04.90
but this is a very important one
00:31:04.93\00:31:06.08
because this one is
on the basis of our daily
00:31:06.11\00:31:10.13
practical
Christianity in action.
00:31:10.16\00:31:12.57
What does the Bible say?
00:31:12.60\00:31:13.65
That we should
be love, joy, peace,
00:31:13.68\00:31:17.46
longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience,
00:31:17.49\00:31:21.88
again such the
bible says there's no law.
00:31:21.91\00:31:24.91
There is so much in this topic,
00:31:24.94\00:31:26.24
we could do a whole
program on it. Oh, yeah.
00:31:26.27\00:31:27.95
I'm even hesitating
now to go in this topic
00:31:27.98\00:31:29.61
because I can see our
time is slipping away.
00:31:29.64\00:31:31.41
Right, that's right. Yeah.
00:31:31.44\00:31:33.41
So anyway thank
you for that question.
00:31:33.44\00:31:34.91
It did give us an opportunity
to address some things that
00:31:34.94\00:31:37.90
normally we don't
necessarily talk about.
00:31:37.93\00:31:41.34
But many people are injured
00:31:41.37\00:31:43.07
and hurt on a
weekly basis in churches
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.69
and if places of fellowship
because they feel condemned
00:31:46.72\00:31:50.29
or somebody has
outright condemned them
00:31:50.32\00:31:53.30
and assigned them to a
category that shouldn't be so.
00:31:53.33\00:31:58.57
Show the love of
Christ, win that person
00:31:58.60\00:32:01.30
and then you'll be
able, and somebody once said,
00:32:01.33\00:32:03.80
and this is so
amazing, in order to--
00:32:03.83\00:32:05.89
you said in order to
help a person change,
00:32:05.92\00:32:07.87
you got to hug them.
00:32:07.90\00:32:09.83
In order to be able to show them
00:32:09.86\00:32:12.18
that you really care about them,
00:32:12.21\00:32:13.55
what about a
hug, greet the saints,
00:32:13.58\00:32:16.18
you know, hug the saints,
00:32:16.21\00:32:17.91
encourage the
saints that they may--
00:32:17.94\00:32:22.02
that they may
see in you a person
00:32:22.05\00:32:23.35
whose path is straight
so that those who're lame
00:32:23.38\00:32:26.12
will not be
turned out of the way.
00:32:26.15\00:32:27.42
Most of the
conviction I've had in life
00:32:27.45\00:32:29.04
about things that has fallen off
00:32:29.07\00:32:31.83
as I've traveled this path
00:32:31.86\00:32:33.50
have not come from
someone else telling me,
00:32:33.53\00:32:35.96
it's come from
personal conviction. Right.
00:32:35.99\00:32:37.94
The things I listen to,
the things I would wear,
00:32:37.97\00:32:40.12
all that stuff, tend to fall off
00:32:40.15\00:32:42.66
as I was reading the word of God
00:32:42.69\00:32:43.81
and I saw that, you know what,
00:32:43.84\00:32:44.87
this isn't harmony with the way
00:32:44.90\00:32:45.96
God wants me to be. That's true.
00:32:45.99\00:32:47.60
But I need time and individuals
need time to go on the Lord.
00:32:47.63\00:32:51.64
I'm so glad you
gave of wearing skits
00:32:51.67\00:32:53.25
that was really embarrassing.
00:32:53.28\00:32:54.31
Yes, yes, yes. Anyway, Anyway
00:32:54.34\00:32:57.35
on that note, on
the light-hearted note,
00:32:57.38\00:32:59.26
we're gonna
transition but thank you
00:32:59.29\00:33:00.32
for your questions and comments.
00:33:00.35\00:33:02.23
And do remember and
all that you do pray
00:33:02.26\00:33:05.03
and work diligently
00:33:05.06\00:33:06.09
for the saving of
somebody else's soul.
00:33:06.12\00:33:08.08
There is no greater sermon
in the life that you live.
00:33:08.11\00:33:11.11
If you have any more
questions or comments
00:33:11.14\00:33:12.61
you like to sent to us,
00:33:12.64\00:33:13.78
send those
questions and comments
00:33:13.81\00:33:15.04
to housecalls@3abn.org,
that's housecalls@3abn.org
00:33:15.07\00:33:20.66
and we do appreciate
that very, very much.
00:33:20.69\00:33:23.34
Now our topic today,
John, is on the topic of what?
00:33:23.37\00:33:26.20
Baptism. Baptism, man, I love.
00:33:26.23\00:33:28.67
That's a really good one.
00:33:28.70\00:33:31.50
And because it is the entrance
00:33:31.53\00:33:33.68
into one of our
earlier questions
00:33:33.71\00:33:35.50
what is a saint.
00:33:35.53\00:33:36.65
It is the entrance into
the household of saints.
00:33:36.68\00:33:39.83
Now the perfect ones
but the called out ones,
00:33:39.86\00:33:43.16
the consecrated ones,
00:33:43.19\00:33:45.99
another word for saint
is a person who's been added
00:33:46.02\00:33:48.21
to the conveyor
belt of the God's work.
00:33:53.51\00:33:55.69
He begins the work
and He guarantees that
00:33:55.72\00:33:57.97
before we make
it into the kingdom,
00:33:58.00\00:33:59.76
that work is going to be ended.
00:33:59.79\00:34:01.68
Well, walk us through, John,
00:34:01.71\00:34:03.25
kind of give us a
catapult into this topic
00:34:03.28\00:34:05.86
and where do you
think we should begin?
00:34:05.89\00:34:07.63
Well, though we get questions
from time to time on baptism,
00:34:07.66\00:34:10.84
is it required? When
should I be baptized?
00:34:10.87\00:34:14.19
What is baptism mean?
00:34:14.22\00:34:16.33
These are the things that we're
gonna cover in this program
00:34:16.36\00:34:18.50
and I think the
best place to start
00:34:18.53\00:34:20.58
is really to see that this part
00:34:20.61\00:34:21.95
of the great commission
of the church. All right.
00:34:21.98\00:34:24.12
It's what God, Jesus Himself
charge the disciples to do
00:34:24.15\00:34:28.59
was not only to preach and teach
00:34:28.62\00:34:30.01
but also to
baptize. That's right.
00:34:30.04\00:34:32.90
And so let start with the
great commission. All right.
00:34:32.93\00:34:36.90
Matthew Chapter 28
00:34:36.93\00:34:38.63
and we'll start
with verse 18. Okay.
00:34:38.66\00:34:42.33
"And Jesus came and
spoke to them, saying,
00:34:42.36\00:34:44.64
All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth.
00:34:44.67\00:34:49.27
Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations,
00:34:49.30\00:34:52.03
baptizing them in
the name of the Father
00:34:52.06\00:34:54.79
and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit,
00:34:54.82\00:34:57.07
teaching them to
observe all things
00:34:57.10\00:34:58.82
that I have commanded you,
00:34:58.85\00:34:59.88
and lo, I am
with you sometimes."
00:34:59.91\00:35:02.81
Now always.
00:35:02.84\00:35:04.00
How long? Always.
00:35:04.03\00:35:05.37
"I am with you always,
00:35:05.40\00:35:06.91
even to the end of
the age." That's right.
00:35:06.94\00:35:10.31
I like that last part of
it and I did that for affect,
00:35:10.34\00:35:13.13
obviously sometimes
00:35:13.16\00:35:14.50
because we forget
that Jesus is with us
00:35:14.53\00:35:17.22
as much as He was
00:35:17.25\00:35:18.28
with that early
church. That's right.
00:35:18.31\00:35:20.09
After Pentecost,
we see it explode
00:35:20.12\00:35:21.84
in the Book of Acts and
wonderful things happening,
00:35:21.87\00:35:23.74
the baptisms
that occurred it says
00:35:23.77\00:35:25.02
thousands were
baptized in a day. That's right.
00:35:25.05\00:35:27.79
The same spirit is
still with us today.
00:35:27.82\00:35:30.15
And He wants to do
the same work today
00:35:30.18\00:35:32.18
and He's calling us
still to go make disciples
00:35:32.21\00:35:37.74
preaching and teaching,
baptizing. That's right.
00:35:37.77\00:35:41.09
One thing, a gentleman
that you will remember,
00:35:41.12\00:35:43.78
I'm gonna say his name
00:35:43.81\00:35:44.84
'cause we're talking
about him in a very good light,
00:35:44.87\00:35:46.95
Opanin Gyaami.
00:35:46.98\00:35:49.11
Remember, Opanin? Oh, yeah.
00:35:49.14\00:35:51.33
He was a dentist
that in the church
00:35:51.36\00:35:53.97
that John pastored
in back in California.
00:35:54.00\00:35:57.53
Opanin Gyaami.
Yes, Opanin Gyaami.
00:35:57.56\00:36:01.51
He would stand upfront,
00:36:01.54\00:36:02.65
he was a personal
ministries leader.
00:36:02.68\00:36:03.89
He would stand upfront
00:36:03.92\00:36:05.48
and he would say almost
every week that he was there,
00:36:05.51\00:36:09.02
he said, Jesus said,
go, not come and sit.
00:36:09.05\00:36:15.16
He said, go where have
you gone this last week?
00:36:15.19\00:36:18.88
Exactly.
00:36:18.91\00:36:19.94
And he would
encourage the saints to go,
00:36:19.97\00:36:22.55
would it be about the
mission of going every week.
00:36:22.58\00:36:25.86
Part of that
mission of course involves
00:36:25.89\00:36:27.49
the sharing of the gospel
00:36:27.52\00:36:29.11
but the results
of sharing the gospel
00:36:29.14\00:36:30.60
we'll find is as we go
through the book of Acts
00:36:30.63\00:36:32.30
and some other text is baptism
00:36:32.33\00:36:34.59
of new members into the faith.
00:36:34.62\00:36:36.36
That's right.
That is so wonderful.
00:36:36.39\00:36:40.65
The Lord that
called the disciples
00:36:40.68\00:36:43.24
didn't call them to
stay, He called them to go
00:36:43.27\00:36:46.79
and He had a work
predetermined for them to do
00:36:46.82\00:36:49.65
before they even went.
00:36:49.68\00:36:51.13
And one of those
is to familiarize,
00:36:51.16\00:36:53.47
"Go ye therefore,
and make disciples."
00:36:53.50\00:36:56.71
Another
translation says, go therefore
00:36:56.74\00:36:58.28
and teach all
nations baptizing them,
00:36:58.31\00:37:00.85
then teaching them to observe
00:37:00.88\00:37:02.49
all things that I command you.
00:37:02.52\00:37:03.96
When we teach a person
00:37:03.99\00:37:05.86
we are in fact
discipling that individual,
00:37:05.89\00:37:08.95
discipleship, this is
something that is amazing.
00:37:08.98\00:37:14.08
Discipling begins before baptism
and continues after baptism.
00:37:14.11\00:37:21.72
When you focus on an individual
00:37:21.75\00:37:23.52
and you're giving
them Bible studies
00:37:23.55\00:37:24.87
or you're sharing with
them anything about Christ,
00:37:24.90\00:37:27.21
they've already entered
into the role of a disciple.
00:37:27.24\00:37:29.82
They're being discipled.
00:37:29.85\00:37:31.39
You're the
discipler, they're the disciplee
00:37:31.42\00:37:34.17
and but then after they come
00:37:34.20\00:37:35.88
to the knowledge of
the truth of God's word,
00:37:35.91\00:37:38.88
then they now are baptized
and then the teaching continues.
00:37:38.91\00:37:43.84
Well, why is baptism necessary?
00:37:43.87\00:37:46.24
Mark 16:16 tells us why.
00:37:46.27\00:37:48.99
There's a passage in Mark 16:16.
00:37:49.02\00:37:51.24
And it gives us a
kind of prerequisite
00:37:51.27\00:37:52.98
for baptism as well. Right.
00:37:53.01\00:37:55.87
Okay, Mark 16:16 here it is.
00:37:55.90\00:37:59.60
And the bible says,
00:37:59.63\00:38:02.31
well, I'll read
verse 15 to lead into that.
00:38:02.34\00:38:06.51
"And He said to them,
'Go into all the world
00:38:06.54\00:38:08.96
and preach the
gospel to every creature.'
00:38:08.99\00:38:12.96
He who believes and is
baptized will be saved,
00:38:12.99\00:38:16.49
but he who does not
believe will be condemned."
00:38:16.52\00:38:19.41
Whereas John says,
00:38:19.44\00:38:20.82
this condemned
already John 3:18.
00:38:20.85\00:38:23.59
So he who
believes and is baptized.
00:38:23.62\00:38:28.67
So the
prerequisite of baptism is what?
00:38:28.70\00:38:30.58
Leading in Jesus. Right.
00:38:30.61\00:38:32.15
Then you baptize and
the result is you're saved.
00:38:32.18\00:38:35.12
See often times
people forget that
00:38:35.15\00:38:36.83
the prerequisites are
not the end result of baptism
00:38:36.86\00:38:40.76
or not the last thing
00:38:40.79\00:38:42.04
that happens before
a person is baptized.
00:38:42.07\00:38:45.37
That's just the
beginning of baptism
00:38:45.40\00:38:47.70
and the reason I
mentioned that is
00:38:47.73\00:38:48.78
because a lot of times
when people come to this place
00:38:48.81\00:38:50.77
where they understand doctrines,
00:38:50.80\00:38:52.73
they think oh, great,
00:38:52.76\00:38:53.79
I have that
fundamental doctrines
00:38:53.82\00:38:56.24
and they're all clear
and I understand them all
00:38:56.27\00:39:00.30
so therefore I must
be ready for baptism.
00:39:00.33\00:39:04.02
The prerequisite for baptism
00:39:04.05\00:39:05.47
is first getting
to know who Christ is.
00:39:05.50\00:39:08.07
And so often people
get all the doctrines
00:39:08.10\00:39:10.29
put in place, you
can't argue with directions,
00:39:10.32\00:39:12.67
directions are
always gonna be correct,
00:39:12.70\00:39:14.40
you can't argue with 2
x 2 that will always be 4.
00:39:14.43\00:39:17.33
So these doctrines are in
our church 28 fundamentals.
00:39:17.36\00:39:20.85
Those are always
going to be clear
00:39:20.88\00:39:22.42
whether you believe
them or not but having a--
00:39:22.45\00:39:26.43
having an
understanding of who Christ is
00:39:26.46\00:39:28.78
and yielding your heart
00:39:28.81\00:39:29.96
and your life to him
really is a major prerequisite.
00:39:29.99\00:39:33.17
And there's a learning process
that comes even after baptism.
00:39:33.20\00:39:36.43
A lot of people say
well, you shouldn't baptize
00:39:36.46\00:39:38.75
somebody until you cover
this, this, this and this
00:39:38.78\00:39:42.64
and it's a very knowledge
based kind of an approach.
00:39:42.67\00:39:45.33
But there are some who
come in to knowing Christ
00:39:45.36\00:39:48.12
and they're so excited about
their relationship with Jesus,
00:39:48.15\00:39:50.66
they love Him and
we put them off. Right.
00:39:50.69\00:39:53.65
Because well, you don't know
00:39:53.68\00:39:54.72
all of our fundamental
beliefs at this point.
00:39:54.75\00:39:57.90
I don't think there's a
single prescription for everyone
00:39:57.93\00:40:00.43
but we do need to
acknowledge and especially,
00:40:00.46\00:40:04.03
we need to be cognizant of--
00:40:04.06\00:40:05.92
has the connection
with Christ happened
00:40:05.95\00:40:08.04
because that's the first part.
00:40:08.07\00:40:10.11
That's the part
believing in Jesus,
00:40:10.14\00:40:12.30
trusting in Him,
having that love for Him,
00:40:12.33\00:40:15.02
that's the part that results
in a decision for baptism.
00:40:15.05\00:40:20.10
And I'm not
dismissing if some of our truths
00:40:20.13\00:40:22.00
need to be taught before
00:40:22.03\00:40:23.08
'cause you need
to know who Christ is
00:40:23.11\00:40:24.55
and part of that is,
00:40:24.58\00:40:26.00
knowing His
teachings. That's right.
00:40:26.03\00:40:28.49
But not everything has
to be done before baptism.
00:40:28.52\00:40:32.00
There's a constant learning
afterward and so I like that.
00:40:32.03\00:40:37.02
There's a particular
text in the Book of Acts
00:40:37.05\00:40:38.64
you've mentioned earlier.
00:40:38.67\00:40:39.83
Yeah, Acts 2 and
then this is another piece
00:40:39.86\00:40:44.75
that helps us prepare
00:40:44.78\00:40:46.81
or recognize our
need for baptism.
00:40:46.84\00:40:49.14
Acts 2:37, now this
comes after the day--
00:40:49.17\00:40:54.06
on the day of Pentecost
00:40:54.09\00:40:55.21
when the Holy Spirit
descended upon the disciples.
00:40:55.24\00:40:59.37
And then they began to preach
00:40:59.40\00:41:01.02
and Peter here is
preaching to a number of people.
00:41:01.05\00:41:05.25
They all have different dialects
00:41:05.28\00:41:06.53
and then we have
little things about tongues
00:41:06.56\00:41:08.63
and being other languages here.
00:41:08.66\00:41:10.82
But look at the
response of the people
00:41:10.85\00:41:12.80
immediately
when they heard this,
00:41:12.83\00:41:13.98
verse 37, "Now
when they heard this,
00:41:14.01\00:41:16.48
they were cut to the
heart," notice conviction came,
00:41:16.51\00:41:20.23
"and said to Peter and
the rest of the apostles,
00:41:20.26\00:41:23.23
'Men and
brethren, what shall we do?'
00:41:23.26\00:41:27.23
Then Peter said to them,
00:41:27.26\00:41:28.91
'Repent, and let
every one of you be,'" what?
00:41:28.94\00:41:31.57
Baptized.
00:41:31.60\00:41:32.63
"Baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ
00:41:32.66\00:41:34.65
for the remission of sins,
00:41:34.68\00:41:36.97
and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit."
00:41:37.00\00:41:40.88
All right, so the response
00:41:40.91\00:41:43.27
to recognition of
our sin is repentance
00:41:43.30\00:41:47.66
and repentance comes as
well as belief in Christ
00:41:47.69\00:41:50.86
for that repentance
before decision to be baptized.
00:41:50.89\00:41:54.26
But baptism is next. Right.
00:41:54.29\00:41:57.56
There wasn't a big
00:41:57.59\00:41:58.67
all encompassing
Bible study here,
00:41:58.70\00:42:01.42
there was a knowing of
Christ and Peter did teach
00:42:01.45\00:42:03.60
some of the
principles of Christianity there
00:42:03.63\00:42:05.65
before the baptism occurred.
00:42:05.68\00:42:07.96
But notice the main
connection here was repentance,
00:42:07.99\00:42:10.96
connection with Jesus
belief in him and then baptism.
00:42:10.99\00:42:14.66
And, you know, what also
in this particular incident
00:42:14.69\00:42:17.26
what makes this
kind of unique that
00:42:17.29\00:42:19.23
Peter didn't have to go through
all these particular doctrines.
00:42:19.26\00:42:22.90
This was the feast of Pentecost.
00:42:22.93\00:42:26.26
These were Jews, devout men,
00:42:26.29\00:42:28.62
out of every
nation under heaven.
00:42:28.65\00:42:30.46
They knew the thing
that was so significant here
00:42:30.49\00:42:33.32
is they knew what
their requirements were
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.11
because these were Jews
00:42:35.14\00:42:36.75
and the devout men out
of every nation and heaven.
00:42:36.78\00:42:39.40
They came to Jerusalem
for the feast of Pentecost
00:42:39.43\00:42:43.11
and there, they knew
all these requirements
00:42:43.14\00:42:48.19
they had, understood
these for many, many years,
00:42:48.22\00:42:50.05
kind of like the
rich and ruler that said
00:42:50.08\00:42:52.20
all these things I've been doing
00:42:52.23\00:42:53.26
since I was a youth
00:42:53.29\00:42:54.47
and then the Lord says
go sell all you having,
00:42:54.50\00:42:56.05
give it to the
poor and then follow Me.
00:42:56.08\00:42:57.90
So they had
educational knowledge
00:42:57.93\00:43:01.83
but they did not repent
00:43:01.86\00:43:03.66
and repentance was so necessary
00:43:03.69\00:43:05.42
that's why I want a transition
from this one here, John,
00:43:05.45\00:43:09.24
and if you look at
the end of that story,
00:43:09.27\00:43:10.89
that day 3,000 souls were added
00:43:10.92\00:43:13.54
and that's a round number.
00:43:13.57\00:43:15.24
Surely, could have
been 3,005 or 2,999
00:43:15.27\00:43:19.92
but what a massive baptism
happened that day, 3,000.
00:43:19.95\00:43:24.20
I wonder where and how long
it took that baptism to happen.
00:43:24.23\00:43:28.07
You ever thought
about that? Yeah.
00:43:28.10\00:43:29.99
How long was it? Yeah.
00:43:30.02\00:43:31.78
And if all the
apostles were involved,
00:43:31.81\00:43:35.81
you know, you could see
that happen with 3,000 people
00:43:35.84\00:43:38.12
that's an amazing thing.
00:43:38.15\00:43:39.77
That's-- and if they have to say
00:43:39.80\00:43:42.32
I baptize you in
the name of the Father,
00:43:42.35\00:43:44.19
oh, that was a long baptism.
00:43:44.22\00:43:46.68
But now here's something I
want to also transition to,
00:43:46.71\00:43:49.72
what is baptism?
00:43:49.75\00:43:51.56
We know what it does,
we know what baptism is for
00:43:51.59\00:43:55.69
but what actually happens,
what is a baptism a symbol of?
00:43:55.72\00:43:59.65
Let's go to Romans Chapter 6.
00:43:59.68\00:44:02.28
Romans Chapter 6
00:44:02.31\00:44:03.34
and I want to walk
through this chapter
00:44:03.37\00:44:06.29
some by methodically
00:44:06.32\00:44:07.35
because a lot of
times people get baptized
00:44:07.38\00:44:09.65
and they don't
really know what to expect.
00:44:09.68\00:44:11.68
They know that okay, now,
00:44:11.71\00:44:13.40
I understand the
teachings of the church,
00:44:13.43\00:44:15.21
now they're really clear to me
00:44:15.24\00:44:16.70
but what actually
happens in baptism
00:44:16.73\00:44:19.09
is described in a
beautiful way here.
00:44:19.12\00:44:22.45
Now I want to transition
00:44:22.48\00:44:24.23
from Chapter 5 into
Chapter 6, all right. Okay.
00:44:24.26\00:44:30.07
And I want to go ahead
00:44:30.10\00:44:32.74
and start with
verse 19 in Chapter 5.
00:44:32.77\00:44:36.09
"For as by one man's--"
00:44:36.12\00:44:37.49
This is Romans 5:19,
00:44:37.52\00:44:39.94
"For as by one
man's disobedience
00:44:39.97\00:44:42.81
many were made sinners,
00:44:42.84\00:44:46.34
so also by one Man's obedience
many will be made righteous."
00:44:46.37\00:44:51.64
You have disobedience
and you have righteousness.
00:44:51.67\00:44:55.41
The disobedience of Adam
and the righteousness of Christ,
00:44:55.44\00:44:59.58
going on, verse 20,
00:44:59.61\00:45:02.14
"Moreover the law entered
that the offense might abound.
00:45:02.17\00:45:06.04
But where sin abounded,
grace abounded much more,
00:45:06.07\00:45:11.41
so that as sin reigned in death,
00:45:11.44\00:45:14.28
even so grace might
reign through righteousness
00:45:14.31\00:45:18.15
to eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:45:18.18\00:45:21.44
So Paul is addressing clearly,
00:45:21.47\00:45:23.82
well, if you think
things were terrible with Adam
00:45:23.85\00:45:26.57
just look how much
more in compression
00:45:26.60\00:45:28.69
they will be
wonderful with Christ.
00:45:28.72\00:45:31.04
The law, yes, the law
was there to let you know
00:45:31.07\00:45:33.24
how badly you need Christ
00:45:33.27\00:45:35.69
but understand this that
as powerfully as death reign
00:45:35.72\00:45:39.92
righteousness is gonna
reign even more victoriously.
00:45:39.95\00:45:43.54
And so he enters chapter
6 almost with a question.
00:45:43.57\00:45:46.42
"What shall we say
then to these things?
00:45:46.45\00:45:49.37
What shall we say?"
00:45:49.40\00:45:50.51
In other words,
I'll just share with you
00:45:50.54\00:45:51.85
so what do we say what do we do.
00:45:51.88\00:45:53.62
"Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?"
00:45:53.65\00:45:56.34
He's continuing on
the thought of grace
00:45:56.37\00:45:59.06
this grace that
reigns through righteousness
00:45:59.09\00:46:01.58
to eternal life in Christ Jesus.
00:46:01.61\00:46:03.25
"Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?"
00:46:03.28\00:46:05.94
And the answer is,
"Certainly not!" in verse 2,
00:46:05.97\00:46:09.18
"How shall we who died to
sin live any longer in it?"
00:46:09.21\00:46:14.50
So I'm gonna stop there
and I'm gonna have John read
00:46:14.53\00:46:16.51
from this point to just
to change the voice tone
00:46:16.54\00:46:19.15
but let me just emphasize
this in the transitions
00:46:19.18\00:46:21.81
the key element here is.
00:46:21.84\00:46:23.25
"How shall we who died to
sin live any longer in it?"
00:46:23.28\00:46:28.82
Dead just take a look at this
death now the very next verse.
00:46:28.85\00:46:32.49
Look at verse 3,
00:46:32.52\00:46:33.92
"Or do you not
know that as many of us
00:46:33.95\00:46:36.23
as were baptized
into Christ Jesus
00:46:36.26\00:46:39.27
were baptized into His death?
00:46:39.30\00:46:41.88
Therefore we
were buried with Him
00:46:41.91\00:46:44.52
through baptism into death,
00:46:44.55\00:46:46.82
that just as Christ
was raised from the dead
00:46:46.85\00:46:49.54
by the glory of the Father,
00:46:49.57\00:46:51.22
even so we also should
walk in newness of life.
00:46:51.25\00:46:55.63
For if we have
been" unified together.
00:46:55.66\00:46:58.32
Oh, not united.
00:46:58.35\00:46:59.38
Excuse me, "united together
in the likeness of His death,
00:46:59.41\00:47:02.57
certainly we also shall be
00:47:02.60\00:47:04.70
in the likeness
of His resurrection."
00:47:04.73\00:47:06.84
Okay, let's stop
there notice what this--
00:47:06.87\00:47:09.11
we talk about death,
we talk about burial,
00:47:09.14\00:47:12.84
we talk about resurrection.
00:47:12.87\00:47:14.57
So what happens here
00:47:14.60\00:47:17.01
lot of times
people don't know that
00:47:17.04\00:47:18.88
baptism is a symbol
of death and burial.
00:47:18.91\00:47:23.49
Dead to sin, burial in the water
represents that watery grave
00:47:23.52\00:47:28.81
but then you don't stay there.
00:47:28.84\00:47:31.48
Amen, for that. All
right, you'll be drown.
00:47:31.51\00:47:35.23
What you drowning is your sin,
00:47:35.26\00:47:37.20
what you laying down in
the watery grave is your sin
00:47:37.23\00:47:40.20
and that is we are
being united together
00:47:40.23\00:47:42.77
in the likeness of his death
that's what verse 5 talks about.
00:47:42.80\00:47:45.86
So when you go
down in that grave,
00:47:45.89\00:47:47.49
that watery grave,
00:47:47.52\00:47:48.86
if Christ is not a
part of that confession,
00:47:48.89\00:47:50.85
you can go down to dry,
you can go down dry sinner,
00:47:50.88\00:47:53.84
come up wet sinner,
00:47:53.87\00:47:54.94
you have to understand
what this is all about.
00:47:54.97\00:47:56.72
You're not
entering into the walk
00:47:56.75\00:47:58.79
and that's why
it says in verse 5,
00:47:58.82\00:48:01.65
"If we've been united together
in the likeness of His death,
00:48:01.68\00:48:04.26
we'd be in the
likeness of His resurrection."
00:48:04.29\00:48:06.60
So what happens now?
00:48:06.63\00:48:08.36
Okay, we see what we need,
00:48:08.39\00:48:09.85
we need to dead to sin,
00:48:09.88\00:48:12.24
buried come forth
in the newness of life.
00:48:12.27\00:48:14.48
So who is not
going to be with us
00:48:14.51\00:48:16.85
on the other side
of that resurrection?
00:48:16.88\00:48:18.94
Look at the next
verse, John. Read that for us.
00:48:18.97\00:48:22.44
Verse 6? Mm-hmm.
00:48:22.47\00:48:23.72
"Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him,
00:48:23.75\00:48:27.62
that the body of sin
might be done away with,
00:48:27.65\00:48:30.37
that we should no
longer be slaves of sin."
00:48:30.40\00:48:32.89
And verse 7.
00:48:32.92\00:48:33.95
"For he who has died has
been freed from sin." Wow.
00:48:33.98\00:48:37.83
So when we go to Galatians 2:20,
00:48:37.86\00:48:40.68
"He who has died
has been freed from sin,
00:48:40.71\00:48:44.47
crucified with Christ."
00:48:44.50\00:48:46.18
Let's look at Galatians 2:20,
00:48:46.21\00:48:48.42
so now when you
look at this picture,
00:48:48.45\00:48:50.64
this picture is presenting
such a wonderful thing.
00:48:50.67\00:48:53.08
Here's what it's saying to
us, it says up until this point,
00:48:53.11\00:48:55.83
you have not been
able to do what's right.
00:48:55.86\00:48:58.85
So baptism is not
a second chance to do
00:48:58.88\00:49:01.48
what you couldn't
do the first time.
00:49:01.51\00:49:03.86
If that were the case then
we'd just simply say try harder.
00:49:03.89\00:49:07.30
If you simply try harder,
00:49:07.33\00:49:08.78
you'll get it but baptism
is not a try hard method.
00:49:08.81\00:49:12.30
Baptism is that I cannot do it,
00:49:12.33\00:49:14.47
therefore, the
instrument that I use
00:49:14.50\00:49:16.61
that caused me to
be failing all the time
00:49:16.64\00:49:19.55
is the very thing
I'm getting rid off
00:49:19.58\00:49:21.74
and I'm taking the
hold of the very instrument
00:49:21.77\00:49:24.40
that causes me
now to be victorious.
00:49:24.43\00:49:26.77
That's what baptism is.
00:49:26.80\00:49:28.02
In this body and in this
mind and in my efforts I failed,
00:49:28.05\00:49:31.11
so I've got to get rid of that
00:49:31.14\00:49:33.39
and now partake of that
which will bring success to me
00:49:33.42\00:49:36.59
that's what
Galatians 2:20 is there.
00:49:36.62\00:49:38.56
One of my favorite passages,
00:49:38.59\00:49:42.10
Galatians 2:20
speaking about this crucifixion
00:49:42.13\00:49:44.98
because we are, you know,
00:49:45.01\00:49:47.49
we are we partake of His
death, this is what it means.
00:49:47.52\00:49:51.87
Here it says, "I have
been crucified with Christ,"
00:49:51.90\00:49:55.85
nevertheless, "it
is no longer I who live
00:49:55.88\00:49:59.44
but Christ lives in me.
00:49:59.47\00:50:02.51
And the life which I
now live in the flesh
00:50:02.54\00:50:05.20
I live by the
faith in the Son of God
00:50:05.23\00:50:07.50
who loved me and
gave himself," what?
00:50:07.53\00:50:10.47
"For me."
00:50:10.50\00:50:12.12
What does that mean?
What does that mean clearly?
00:50:12.15\00:50:14.89
It says John when you
gave your live to Christ
00:50:14.92\00:50:19.27
it was no longer
John working on it now.
00:50:19.30\00:50:22.07
So when I used to
go back to Brooklyn
00:50:22.10\00:50:24.04
and I would walk on the streets
00:50:24.07\00:50:25.87
where I used to before
and that path to the house
00:50:25.90\00:50:29.58
where my father lived
before he passed away.
00:50:29.61\00:50:33.15
I would go around
that I see the same guys
00:50:33.18\00:50:35.23
the same guys in the pools halls
00:50:35.26\00:50:36.68
of you know, playing
billiards and gambling
00:50:36.71\00:50:39.37
hanging out on
the street corners.
00:50:39.40\00:50:41.46
And they say hey, John,
00:50:41.49\00:50:43.33
how are you doing?
And I would say, fine.
00:50:43.36\00:50:44.54
They would say, is
that you? Man you look?
00:50:44.57\00:50:47.79
I said, well, yes and no.
00:50:47.82\00:50:50.80
I'm not the same guy
I may be the same DNA
00:50:50.83\00:50:53.92
but I'm not the same guy.
00:50:53.95\00:50:55.48
The guy you knew is dead
this is who is alive in Christ.
00:50:55.51\00:50:59.45
And they didn't
know how to handle that.
00:50:59.48\00:51:01.16
So then I discombobulation
of the moment they said
00:51:01.19\00:51:04.97
just lend me $5, you have $5.
00:51:05.00\00:51:07.12
So they didn't
know what to say to that
00:51:07.15\00:51:08.87
because, man, you look good.
00:51:08.90\00:51:11.09
What you been
doing? What you doing now?
00:51:11.12\00:51:12.69
And you say well, I'm
a minister, I'm a pastor.
00:51:12.72\00:51:16.22
It's hard for them to grasp.
00:51:16.25\00:51:18.99
You are pastor and they
you know, they are thinking,
00:51:19.02\00:51:22.17
we used to gamble together,
we used to play pool together,
00:51:22.20\00:51:25.44
we hung out and party
together you're pastor, you.
00:51:25.47\00:51:31.48
Well, the answer is,
00:51:31.51\00:51:32.54
you know, that old guy is
not pastor the new guy is.
00:51:32.57\00:51:36.07
See that's what baptism does.
00:51:36.10\00:51:37.96
It takes you from
the realm of failure
00:51:37.99\00:51:41.46
to a place that you
look back and you say
00:51:41.49\00:51:43.80
I cannot believe.
I'm actually doing this.
00:51:43.83\00:51:47.93
Remember in the prior program
00:51:47.96\00:51:48.99
we talked about the
definition of grace.
00:51:49.02\00:51:51.72
Grace is anytime
that God reaches down
00:51:51.75\00:51:53.74
to do something for us
that we cannot do for ourselves
00:51:53.77\00:51:56.81
to save us, to
empower us, to strengthen us.
00:51:56.84\00:51:59.53
Anytime He
reaches down that's grace
00:51:59.56\00:52:01.72
and when we come
out of that watery grave
00:52:01.75\00:52:04.91
leaving our sinful life
behind that fleshly life that--
00:52:04.94\00:52:08.36
not the flesh itself
but reliance on the flesh
00:52:08.39\00:52:11.94
to live our
lives we leave behind.
00:52:11.97\00:52:13.82
We now reach and depend
upon the grace of Christ
00:52:13.85\00:52:17.07
who reaches down to gives us
00:52:17.10\00:52:18.26
the power and
strength that we need.
00:52:18.29\00:52:19.82
Our dependence
is totally different
00:52:19.85\00:52:21.74
which is why the very next
verse in Galatians 2 says this,
00:52:21.77\00:52:24.94
"I do not set
aside the grace of God,
00:52:24.97\00:52:28.77
for if righteousness
comes through the law,
00:52:28.80\00:52:31.44
then Christ died in vain."
00:52:31.47\00:52:32.95
So he is saying
here essentially that
00:52:32.98\00:52:37.52
grace takes over. That's right.
00:52:37.55\00:52:41.28
I don't depend up on
the flesh anymore that died
00:52:41.31\00:52:43.95
I now depend
upon the grace of God.
00:52:43.98\00:52:47.23
Him reaching down to do for
me what I can not do for myself
00:52:47.26\00:52:51.22
and that doesn't involve
00:52:51.25\00:52:53.50
the righteousness I
have doesn't involve
00:52:53.53\00:52:55.72
keeping the law to
attain righteousness.
00:52:55.75\00:52:58.27
It's the
righteousness Christ gives me
00:52:58.30\00:53:00.15
and the grace He
gives me to empower me
00:53:00.18\00:53:02.59
to live in
harmony with God's law.
00:53:02.62\00:53:05.17
Here's a person
said to me recently
00:53:05.20\00:53:06.91
that help me
understand the role of the law
00:53:06.94\00:53:08.82
in this whole thing.
00:53:08.85\00:53:11.18
And the comment
was just powerful
00:53:11.21\00:53:13.19
I've kept it with me.
00:53:13.22\00:53:14.76
He said, "The law is
diagnostic never therapeutic."
00:53:14.79\00:53:20.81
That's a good
one. Isn't that good?
00:53:20.84\00:53:23.60
The law is
diagnostic not therapeutic.
00:53:23.63\00:53:28.23
Therapy is what we receive
00:53:28.26\00:53:31.24
that helps us live
the Christian life.
00:53:31.27\00:53:34.26
The law tells us
we're lost or conditioned
00:53:34.29\00:53:37.48
what our problem is
00:53:37.51\00:53:38.96
but the therapy
is Jesus in his grace
00:53:38.99\00:53:41.74
provided for me to live
in harmony with that law
00:53:41.77\00:53:45.15
that's the therapy.
00:53:45.18\00:53:46.78
So we no longer
breakers of the law of God
00:53:46.81\00:53:49.97
we receive the therapy
of Christ through His grace
00:53:50.00\00:53:51.98
and we become the
keepers of His law.
00:53:52.01\00:53:54.48
I think that was powerful
and I've kept that with me.
00:53:54.51\00:53:56.67
I really like
that because you know
00:53:56.70\00:53:58.48
that's what Paul meant
when he says Romans 3:13,
00:53:58.51\00:54:02.45
"Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the law."
00:54:02.48\00:54:06.39
The law condemns us the
law diagnoses us and says,
00:54:06.42\00:54:09.67
hey, you're on a road to death.
00:54:09.70\00:54:12.86
There is no hope
of you to be saved
00:54:12.89\00:54:15.92
except you get therapy.
00:54:15.95\00:54:17.86
That's right. You see.
00:54:17.89\00:54:19.77
And that's see I just
jumped on that right away.
00:54:19.80\00:54:21.72
Where is that
therapy come from? Christ.
00:54:21.75\00:54:24.16
And so Christ now He says,
00:54:24.19\00:54:26.48
okay, here's what I'm gonna do.
00:54:26.51\00:54:28.96
Philippians let's go there.
00:54:28.99\00:54:30.61
Okay, here is
what I'm going to do,
00:54:30.64\00:54:32.18
oh, I tell you,
00:54:32.21\00:54:33.98
Philippians really
one of my favorite books.
00:54:34.01\00:54:37.34
You guys probably would say
which one is his favorite book.
00:54:37.37\00:54:40.11
I say favorite so much so
you guys may get confused.
00:54:40.14\00:54:43.17
Philippians, okay, this is the--
00:54:43.20\00:54:50.65
okay, here it is,
here's Philippians 1,
00:54:50.68\00:54:56.84
this is the therapy,
00:54:56.87\00:54:59.41
"Being confident
of this very thing."
00:54:59.44\00:55:01.94
Verse 6, "Being
confident of this very thing
00:55:01.97\00:55:05.96
that he who has
begun a good work in you
00:55:05.99\00:55:10.37
will complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ."
00:55:10.40\00:55:14.72
So this therapy I mean,
00:55:14.75\00:55:16.54
Christ now is hands
on He is working in you
00:55:16.57\00:55:20.35
both to will and to
do of his good pleasure.
00:55:20.38\00:55:23.78
And He says I know I
have started this work
00:55:23.81\00:55:26.19
for it is God who works
in you Philippians 2:13,
00:55:26.22\00:55:29.73
"For it is God who works in you
00:55:29.76\00:55:31.75
both to will and to
do of His good pleasure."
00:55:31.78\00:55:36.02
I've got plans for you
that I got get you ready for
00:55:36.05\00:55:39.82
and I couldn't do it as long as
00:55:39.85\00:55:41.22
you were the way you are before.
00:55:41.25\00:55:42.81
And every therapy makes
us stronger, doesn't it?
00:55:42.84\00:55:45.25
That's right it does.
00:55:45.28\00:55:46.35
And the grace of God that
provides that therapy for us.
00:55:46.38\00:55:49.46
Him doing the work,
00:55:49.49\00:55:50.62
Him
strengthening us and helping us
00:55:50.65\00:55:53.84
and preparing us
and not only beginning
00:55:53.87\00:55:55.72
and initiating our faith
00:55:55.75\00:55:56.78
but ending that faith
through His therapy program
00:55:56.81\00:55:59.60
and we keep using therapy
00:55:59.63\00:56:00.76
because we using
the law as diagnostic.
00:56:00.79\00:56:03.08
And unless we understand
the proper role of each
00:56:03.11\00:56:06.65
then the gospel gets
distorted, doesn't it?
00:56:06.68\00:56:09.72
It does.
00:56:09.75\00:56:11.42
It makes it
almost seem as though
00:56:11.45\00:56:12.74
it's our responsibility
to carry these things out.
00:56:12.77\00:56:15.59
Matter of fact
once we are baptized
00:56:15.62\00:56:17.82
it is no longer I
who live, Galatians 2:20,
00:56:17.85\00:56:20.61
it is no longer us who
is doing this we are dead
00:56:20.64\00:56:24.12
and you never seen a dead man
00:56:24.15\00:56:25.66
follow you home from a
funereal. That's right.
00:56:25.69\00:56:28.48
Here is my point
00:56:28.51\00:56:30.19
and we're gonna go
into this even further
00:56:30.22\00:56:31.46
in another
program here is my point.
00:56:31.49\00:56:33.41
When we say
we're dead we're saying
00:56:33.44\00:56:35.30
it is no longer us who live.
00:56:35.33\00:56:37.12
We got to put aside and John,
00:56:37.15\00:56:38.65
one of the greatest road blocks
to a person getting baptized
00:56:38.68\00:56:42.18
is the thought of you
mean I can't do that any more,
00:56:42.21\00:56:45.79
I can't--you don't
have to try to stop anything
00:56:45.82\00:56:50.37
you just got to die
00:56:50.40\00:56:51.58
and the person that
dies stops everything,
00:56:51.61\00:56:54.04
can't go any
further. That's right.
00:56:54.07\00:56:55.92
Well, I think the biggest thing
the devil does upon baptism is
00:56:55.95\00:56:58.98
he tries to get us to
stop going back to Christ
00:56:59.01\00:57:01.43
for His grace to stop
at to going to therapy.
00:57:01.46\00:57:05.13
If he get us out of therapy
then he takes away the strength
00:57:05.16\00:57:08.57
that we need in
Christ to live this life.
00:57:08.60\00:57:11.54
And so just because
you've been baptized
00:57:11.57\00:57:13.24
doesn't mean that
devil's not working.
00:57:13.27\00:57:14.69
He's gonna work harder
00:57:14.72\00:57:15.85
but trust and
lay a hold of Christ.
00:57:15.88\00:57:17.87
That right and
like my chiropractor
00:57:17.90\00:57:19.73
once said man,
you haven't been here
00:57:19.76\00:57:21.05
for therapy in a long time.
00:57:21.08\00:57:22.80
Well, friends
I'll tell you what,
00:57:22.83\00:57:24.05
as we begin
this topic on baptism
00:57:24.08\00:57:26.06
Jesus wants to make a
difference in your live.
00:57:26.09\00:57:28.25
He wants to work on you.
00:57:28.28\00:57:29.48
Invite Him that He
could work from the inside out
00:57:29.51\00:57:32.71
make that decision today.
00:57:32.74\00:57:34.39
God bless you.
00:57:34.42\00:57:35.56